


Unsteady

by MayLovelies



Category: Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel - James Luceno, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rape/Non-con - Freeform, Romance, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-09-17 02:47:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9300686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayLovelies/pseuds/MayLovelies
Summary: While at a party, Krennic falls under the influence and unbeknownst to him gains the attention of the wrong group of people; he suffers greatly for it. Galen agreed to go accompany his friend but after a small argument ensues, decides to abandon Krennic. Now Galen must deal with the consequences of leaving Krennic when he needed him the most.OrAfter a party goes terribly wrong, it is Galen who must be there for a broken Krennic this time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well let’s see how this goes. If it all goes well then it should be 3-5 chapters…

Against his better judgement, Galen had decided to take up Krennic’s offer for a midnight party.

He knew it wasn’t the smartest thing to do but Orson insisted, and within a few hours a tired Galen found himself running down the dimly lit hallway with a more than enthusiastic Krennic leading the way.  

Galen could already hear the loud noises, music and laughter sounding from the main room. Never had he so badly wanted to flee the scene, but he only imagined how his tenacious friend would react. 

“Loosen up!” As Krennic came to mind, he spoke rather assertively, casting a determined look toward his worried friend. “You look like you’ve fallen ill!”

“I’m fine.” Galen spoke, attempting to cover the fact he was indeed sick to his stomach. Because with every step down the corridor the duo took, the stench of alcohol and other illegal substances filled his nostrils.

Running off seemed like the best decision now however, Krennic placed a reassuring hand on Galen’s shoulder just as they stood outside the entrance of the room where the “gathering” took place.

“You’ll enjoy it, and if you don’t we can leave. Both of us.”  He ensured, looking Galen in the eye.

“And you won’t abandon me will you?” Galen asked, first receiving only a chuckle from Krennic. But he repeated, as this was important to Galen; he couldn’t bear the idea of being stuck at these types of late night parties alone.

“I promise!” Krennic mused. “There’s no need to be so anxious.”

 _With you, I need to be._ Galen mentally responded, taking several breaths as Krennic led them in.

As Galen both expected and did not, there were all sorts of people drinking and having fun. Amongst the pungent smell of alcohol, Galen spotted in the distance some people dancing to songs he hadn’t ever heard.

So much was going on in such a large space. Too many people collided into one another; some intoxicated, some under the influence of whatever drug and others just seduced by the night. Galen had unfortunately not fit into any of those categories.

In the midst of his thoughts, he felt Krennic tugging at his sleeve attempting to lead him elsewhere. Unable to protest, Galen followed him to one of the tables that housed what seemed like large coolers (which Galen later discovered to be called a ‘keg’), and cups all around.

“Are you thirsty?” It wasn’t much of a question Krennic asked but more of a demand as he filled two cups to the brim.  He handed one of the cups to Galen whom promptly refused, and rolling his eyes, Krennic was quick to drink both of them. “Coward.” He smirked, already returning to get yet another.

“I’m not a coward; the alcohol just makes me nauseous—Orson, stop. You don’t need another cup.” And though he knew his words would work to no avail that didn’t keep him from attempting to stop Krennic. He could only watch in horror as Krennic became increasingly disoriented with every new cup he filled and before Galen knew it, Orson was walking around, being more loud and boastful than needed.

By this time, a gang of older students had caught wind of Krennic’s show sending chills of discomfort down Galen’s spine. He feared they were up to no good. Around this time, Krennic had found himself near the crowd of dancing students. Galen took a few moments to seek him out and force him into a quieter place; the bathroom.

“You’ve had far too much to drink.” Galen spoke sharply as the two stepped over the threshold.

“Stop your worrying and complaining; I’m fine. What is it you need, why are we in here?”

“We need to go back to the dormhalls. I don’t like it here—”

“Then you go back by yourself Galen. It’s not a long walk and if you don’t want to stay then fine. However, I am enjoying myself.”

“You said we’d both go if I didn’t like it.” Galen shot back, pointing a finger at Krennic. “You promised. Now let’s go before you lose any food you have left—”

“Erso, you aren’t a child. If you want to go back then go, but I won’t have you ruining the night for me. I knew it was a foolish mistake to bring you along, why I decided against my gut I have no clue.” Krennic exasperated, crossing his arms and staring at the taller man. “Just go, you really are a coward.”

While Galen knew his friend was intoxicated, his sharp tone still hurt. For a while he said nothing; only stood by as Krennic left him in the bathroom by himself. Still wounded by his friend’s insensitive insults, he took a chance to look at his tired face in the mirror and for a moment wondered if there was something wrong with him. Maybe Orson was right. Maybe he was childish _and_ a coward for not finding enjoyment in such nightly activities.

Yet, as quickly as he succumbed to such thoughts, he shut them out of his brain completely. It was unwise of him to let the drunken words of Orson get to him, and even more so to think that getting wasted away at these parties made him any more childlike than these other drunken idiots—drunken idiots like Orson.

In anger, Galen turned his face from the mirror and headed outside, back into the party.

Not only did he plan to leave without Krennic, but give him a piece of his mind as well. For drunk or not, there was no need for Krennic to belittle him in such a way. He’d certainly prove his crude friend wrong.

As Galen made way to the crowd of dancing people, he was shocked to see that Krennic was not there. Yet as tall as he was, it was easy for him to spot him at the table from earlier. Unsurprisingly, he absently held a cup in one hand, yet with the other hand on the edge of the table trying to steady himself. As Galen grew closer to the table, he also saw that Krennic was coughing.

At first, his face was panic stricken, yet didn’t want to give Krennic the satisfaction of him worrying again so he replaced the distress with a stoic expression.

When he approached the table, Krennic seemed to notice him. And letting go of the ledge, he took a step toward Galen only to falter in his footing. He was greatly disoriented, which was expected by the amount of alcohol he had consumed. However, Galen did not move to aid him, only stare in disapproval.

“I’m leaving. If you want to waste away here at this party, and the next, then that’s fine by me. But don’t guilt trip me into coming to these things anymore.”

“H...hey…” Krennic muttered as he attempted to stand up straight, by now gaining the attention of some bystanders hovering around the area. To name a few, the same group of guys from before. One of the onlookers (the one staring the most in amusement) Galen had recognized from one of his classes, however he didn’t pay much mind.

“Help me…help me up will you…” He pleaded.

“No, help yourself you idiot. You’re the one who drank too much.”

“G…Galen…my drink tastes odd…I think someone…may have…let’s go…” Krennic attempted to reach out to Galen who promptly stepped back.

“I thought I was a child Krennic; a coward for wanting to leave.” He mused angrily. “You aren’t getting any help from me, see you later.”

If Krennic wasn’t unsteady before, he was now as he desperately tried to reach for Galen who was just out of his grasp.  Krennic called for him to come back, louder than normal and this certainly gained the attention of others.

Galen cast one final look at the group of men, more specifically, his classmate who seemed to make humor of Krennic’s current disposition. As he left the room, Galen felt a slight twinge of guilt for not going back to Orson’s aid but decided it was for the best. He needed to learn his lesson.

OoOoOoOoO

The next morning, Galen began to panic when he woke to find that Krennic had not yet returned to their room. Perhaps it was a poor decision to leave his friend in such a disoriented state, no matter if he was angry.

Galen sighed, and stood to get ready; he’d go looking for Krennic and if he was lucky Krennic wouldn’t be too angry at him. However, when Galen exited their small dorm bathroom after taking a shower, he was surprised to see Krennic had returned already.

“Orson, what took you so long?” Galen questioned sharply prepared to give his friend a tongue lashing. However, he caught himself when Krennic turned around. Slowly, he did so only to meet Galen’s eyes with a desolate, empty gaze. He didn’t have to say anything for Galen to know that something was greatly amiss. And if the painful silence was not a sign, than the fresh bruises on his face were.

“I’m going to bed.” He whispered quietly and Orson did not stop him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the feedback and the kudos on the previous chapter! I hope you enjoy the update, if so, please comment and tell me what you think! It would make me really happy!

If it wasn’t for Krennic’s constant turning in his sleep, Galen would have believed him to be dead.

He hadn’t left his bed at all that day and naturally Galen started to worry. He wondered just how drunk Krennic had gotten to end up so exhausted. Needless to say, he was still extremely worried, for every time he returned to their dorm room, Krennic still remained sleeping.

When night fell, Galen took this as a chance to check if Krennic was all right. After changing into his pajamas, he lagged over to the bed of the younger man and sat near Orson’s head, rather roughly shaking him awake.

“Orson wake up.” He was met with a quick hand swat and a grunt. “Stop being like that. Have you eaten at all today?”

“Mmm….” His groan was long and drawn out, and sproted the tone of utmost annoyance. But Galen persisted on.

“Orson!”

“Yeah I ate.” He mumbled finally, though Galen knew he was lying. “Leave me alone so I can go back to sleep!”

Galen pondered on chewing him out for still being in his day clothes, but he let him be. Perhaps he was moody or simply the alcohol hadn’t worn off yet. Regardless, another twelve hours of sleep would suffice for Orson. So standing, stretching and finally yawning, Galen made way back to his bed and fell asleep.

OoOoOoOoO

_‘Galen…come back! Galen, Galen!’ His mind did not hide the desperation in his voice, not even in his dreams. His memory, though clouded, replayed the moment repeatedly. And the darkness of the night did not help to push his fears away._

_‘Grab him! Don’t let him get away!’ One of the voices of the older boys loudly resounded in his head. He remembered panicking at that moment as he attempted to run away. However, the abundant amount of alcohol he had consumed prevented that, leaving him disoriented and unable to walk a step without falling. And when he hit the ground, that is when they came on him. One pulled him into a dark room and the rest followed. And not even his countless screams could stop them from continuing their deeds._

_One by one, they took him against his will, deaf to his screams and drunken pleas. It wasn’t until he fell nearly limp, did the last one, a familiar face, finally come upon him. And with that came the punches, and the bruises and low whispers that promised more pain and humiliation._

Orson woke in the middle of the night to cold beads of sweat dripping from every inch of his body. With the sensation of having jumped in a cold pool, he shivered nearly out of control, still disoriented from waking so suddenly.   To try to combat the cold, he hugged his knees to his chest, yet that worked to no avail. For the young teen’s discomfort was not caused by the frigid sensation alone, but the anxiety and distress of his nightmare. Well...truly, it was no nightmare for the events were very real. Every detail and more seemed to prod at his mind, not giving him the grace of forgetting.

Yet, it was not only the horrific offense that shook Orson, for as awful as the deed was nothing pained him more than to see Galen leave him. He could not remember how many times he called for Galen to come back to him, both in the main hall and even in that dark room where his aggressors worked so hard to silence him. But Orson knew that his screams were in vain, for the moment Galen left, he wouldn’t return.

With these terrible thoughts plaguing his disoriented mind, Orson began to feel sick to his stomach. Slight discomfort had been manifesting itself for some time now, but the young teen felt as if his innards were clawing at him. He quickly jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. If he wasn’t in so much pain, he would have attempted to be quiet for Galen’s sake but he could not help himself. He made all sorts of noises until he made it to the toilet where he hunched over and released all of the contents inside of his stomach. 

There was no food to throw up, simply alcohol and acid, and this made him feel worse than before. He eventually fell to his knees, feeling lightheaded and perplexed. It wasn’t that long until he hit the bathroom floor hard and after that, the lights spun and everything turned black.

OoOoOoOoOo

Galen woke that morning quite certain that Krennic had already freshened himself up and had headed out. After all, his bed was empty and unmade like usual. He felt a little better now, knowing that his younger companion was most likely on the hunt for a much needed meal and maybe even a cup of water to drink his hangover away.

However, when Galen stepped into the bathroom he gasped in sudden horror, seeing Krennic curled up upon the bathroom floor like a motionless corpse.

It took no time for him to kneel down next to him and shake him conscious. In return, Krennic did wake up, but there was a look in his eyes Galen had never seen before. It was a mix of both fury and terror as he, with all his might went on attacking his older friend.

“Orson, stop!” Between being punched a couple times and scratched in the face, he restrained his friend enough to pull him into an embrace. He felt Orson’s heart beating faster than a rabbit, and his breaths were ragged and sharp. But eventually, after holding him for a couple of minutes, he calmed down. It then took  no strength for Galen to carry him to the bed and rest him, sitting him up straight.

“Stay here Orson, I’m serious.” Galen commanded, though looking at his blank roommate, it didn’t seem like he was in the position to go anywhere. So Galen dressed and quickly went to one of the on-campus food stores and bought Orson a suitable meal.

By this time, the younger man was more active. Tired nonetheless, but looking around. He didn’t speak when Galen sat next to him with a tray of food, nor did he move to eat it. Galen figured that whatever had happened that night, resulted in Orson being rather unsteady so he helped to feed Orson, giving him small bites of food at a time and making sure not to pour an unsuitable amount of water down his throat. After about an hour, Orson had eaten but his expression was nonetheless still troubling.

Galen sat on the foot of the bed, trying to make sense of all of this. He cast a worried look back at Krennic, who had now taken up a book that he kept under his pillow and begun to read.  


“If something happened at that party Orson, I need to know. Did you get into a fight?” He figured he should have been more assertive when he asked, only if that would aid him in getting the full truth. However, Orson simply shook his head.

“I fell over trying to go after you.” There was a slight pinch of anger in his voice, but Galen decided not to ponder on it. “I’m feeling better now.”

“That’s good.” Galen responded. “You should not have been drinking so much, I told you to—”

“Yeah, yeah, you told me to stop.” Orson quickly flipped a page in his book. “Do you not have anything to do today? You got ready for a reason.”

“Well I wanted to go talk to my professor about an internship,” The older of the two started. “but I mean, a thank you for what I did would be nice to hear from you.”

“Thanks.” Krennic sneered, not even looking Galen in the eye.  In return, Galen rolled his eyes and decided to head out to meet his instructor.  There was a promising internship waiting for him, as Galen was so far the brightest in the program when it came to his work in energy and physics. He was rather uplifted for this meeting and there was no way he was going to let Orson’s ungrateful attitude bring him down.

OoOoOoOoOo

Classes resumed the next morning and as usual, students were extremely groggy that Monday. However, even from a distance, Galen observed just how differently Krennic acted. He understood not having left the room for some time could make things a little odd, but he seemed distant and extremely groggy.

He wasn’t his usual upbeat self and more than anything he seemed recoiled. When his friends waved his direction he smiled, but nothing else. Feeling rather worrisome, it wasn’t long until Galen joined him on his path to their next class with one another. His heart warmed when Orson visibly relaxed, popping a genuine smile.

“So how’d the internship go?” Krennic started, his smile growing wider than before.

“Well,” Galen shrugged. “There’s some complications. It’s kind’a far away, it would require I move off of campus for a while. It’s not so much an internship but a job—in my field. It’s a great opportunity but I don’t know.”

There was silence between the two for a while until Orson nudged Galen in the arm. “I think you should take it! Maybe during the summer or something!” He exclaimed.

“The position opens in around four weeks Orson,” he spoke directly to his friend, though feeling guilty when Krennic’s smile faltered. “But hey, there will be another time don’t you think?”

Orson shrugged. “Perhaps, just don’t let the moment pass by you Erso!” He playfully nudged Gale again and that resulted in the older student roughly grabbing him and ruffling his hair. The two went back and forth for a while until they approached the classroom.

Making small banter, Orson stopped suddenly before entering. Unware of the students brushing past him, he stood rather motionless while Galen cast a look his direction.

“Orson, what’s up? Coming in?” At around this time, Galen spotted a familiar face also entering the classroom. It was the student from the party, the one who couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off of he or Orson.

“No, I’m…I think I need to excuse myself. I’ll be back in a second.” He was gone as soon as he’d finished his sentence, leaving Galen confused but nonetheless expecting Krennic to return. However, as the clock ticked and his friend was no where in sight, he began to worry. Naturally, he wrote down the notes and majority of the lecture for Krennic, grudgingly though. He was rather upset to find him eating away in the dorm and before tossing the notes to him, made sure to tell him he would not be doing him such a favor any more.

Unluckily for Galen the week progressed, and with it, so did Krennic’s absences. And as much as Galen said he would not, he wrote his notes for him day after day, only to find him and bicker at him when he found him in the dorm (or when Krennic had actually returned at night). It wasn’t until the beginning of the next week, Galen had it. And angrily, he stormed out of class ready to give Orson the biggest earful.

He half expected him to be hanging out with friends, or even sitting at one of the school restaurants eating away. However, when Galen entered the bathroom to fix his sloppy collar, he was shocked when he found Krennic sitting in the corner, reading his book.

“What the hell Orson! Don’t tell me you’ve been sitting here the whole time?”

Orson, placing his book down, rose an eyebrow. “And?” He stood up. “If this is about you writing notes for me in my absence, I didn’t ask you too. I can easily get the lecture on line—”

“Are you serious? You are unbelievable! The least you can do is be grateful, but I suppose that’s to humble for you!” He shouted, quite certain he frightened some students just outside the door. “No I didn’t have to take notes for you, I didn’t have to help you a couple of nights ago but I _did,_ because I’m your friend Orson. But I clearly see you aren’t thankful for anything I’ve done for you!”

With that, Orson chuckled and rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time for this.” And with that, he stalked out of the bathroom, leaving Galen seething in disbelief. It didn’t take long for him to go after his moody friend and meet him in one of the empty courtyards on their way back to their room.

“What the hell has gotten into you Orson? Was it the party? I know something happened, I know you’re lying? Are you still too drunk to make sense or are you high on some fucking street drug!? Your standards are low enough as it is!” While Orson had his back to Galen originally, he was quick to turn around and physically shove Galen so hard he nearly fell over.

“Do you really want to know what happened at the party!?” He shouted as if he’d been holding in this revelation for some time, and Galen, red faced simply nodded, prepared to hear some dumb story.

“Those students…” He started with a determined fire, but paused slightly, as if he was not yet ready to admit whatever deed out loud. It was clear to Galen that that whatever it was had been bother Krennic for some time, so he waited for his response in silence, fearing he wouldn’t get one. Yet, Krennic took a deep breath and willed himself. “After _you_ left me, _they¸_ those students took me in one of the rooms, shut the door and they…they assaulted me Galen! They raped me, all of them…one by one…” He clenched his fist and bit his lip, as if tensing every bit of his body would stop him from crying. “And…And I called for you Galen and you left me! You left even when I asked you to take me home—”

By now, Galen was shaking his head in utter disbelief. He could not quite face the truth, nor understand the situation at hand. So against every fiber in his being, and without clearly making up his mind, he spoke. Not out of sympathy, but out of anger and boiled emotion.

“Don’t you _dare_ blame me Orson! You were the one who dragged me to that damned party! You were the one who got drunk! If it anyone’s fault you were raped, it isn’t mine! It’s _yours._ ” He pointed an accusing finger at Orson, who stood there with his mouth wide open. “And how do I even know you’re telling the truth!? You were so intoxicated you are probably making it up!”

And that did it, that piece caused Galen to snap out of his emotional rage and fully understand the extent of his words. He made way to apologize or at least understand, but Orson was already walking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I hope you all enjoyed the update! Please comment if you liked it! Feedback makes my day ! And also forgive me if there are any mistakes, it is around midnight here and I’m tired, however I’ve proof read it so things should be alright! Anyway until next time! Thank you all for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks you so much for all you have given me feedback and sorry for my lack of update. It’s just that I feel that all the people who were pushing for me to update (especially for chapter 1), didn’t really comment or give me feedback when I updated, and that’s kind of discouraging. I honestly didn’t feel like nearly as much people read it this time and that’s the reason I haven’t updated in nearly two weeks. So idk if I’ll continue on with this story if I feel that people aren’t reading it.

The next few days, Galen nor Orson spoke to each other. And Galen thought that was for the best. He had no idea what could possibly be said between them after their encounter, and Krennic was still furious at him. Any advances Galen had attempted were ignored, and at a point he just gave up.

However, Orson did come back to class, though he sat in the back; far away from everyone. And usually, he was the first one out, so none in the crowd could catch a glimpse of him.

Meanwhile, Galen had for some time, attempted to make sense of this all.

Still doubtful from the day Krennic confessed the assault, he knew not what to think. Galen felt rather guilty, for not believing his younger friend,  however that guilt was always replaced with anger.

Firstly, Krennic had the audacity to blame him for it—if it did happen, when he was the one who decided to get drunk in the first place. Secondly, Krennic was indeed drunk; he was to blame. And _thirdly,_ Krennic’s impaired brain may have twisted the scene and situation—he may not have been assaulted in the first place.

Which was what Galen believed (or hoped). But he still needed help with this, needed someone to steer him toward the right direction and correct reasoning.

There _was_ a solution to this all; a hidden truth in which Galen sought to seek. Whenever Krennic was involved, things were never as simple as they seemed. Yet, he still needed to consult a dear friend who could perhaps help him see this situation clearly.

And that dear friend, was Lyra.

OoOoOoO

Lyra listened attentively as Galen told the story in great detail. From the party, to the days following up until he and Krennic had gotten into their argument.

Lyra nodded, and made sounds of interest until Galen finished. Every so often, she’d take a sip of her drink, or a bite of her sandwich, not ready to say a word until it was her turn. So with one hard gaze, and a breath, she spoke.

“Do you believe him?”

“I don’t know.” Galen truthfully replied. “Taking into consideration his past…I just don’t know. He is angry at me though.”

“It doesn’t take a lot to anger Krennic.” Lyra grinned. “No matter how you look at it Galen, you aren’t at fault…but, I am leaning more toward this being a lie.”

“Why so?”

Lyra shrugged. “If it was the truth, would he not have reported it by now? If he’s so intent on putting the blame on you, it must be eating him up. He can report if and be done with it.”

Galen pondered for a while as he let Lyra’s words resonate.

The more he thought about it, it seemed right. If Krennic was really assaulted, then wouldn’t getting help be the most logical option rather than trying to point fingers for a dumb mistake. Krennic was after all, a drama queen however, something this drastic couldn’t be kept under wraps for so long. If he cared about it that much, he would have told someone.

“I’ll confront him about it.” Galen absently responded. “You are right, why would he not tell anyone? I refuse to let me blame him for this if he hasn’t reached out, especially if it may not be true.”

Lyra sighed before gathering her things. “I advise you not to force him into a corner but…make sure you do bring up telling someone. If it is true Galen, he does need help; quickly.”

Galen nodded, though still refused Orson’s tale to be true.

OoOoOoOoOoO

That morning, as both Orson and Galen prepared for the day, Galen took a breath and prepared to break the ever growing silence between the two. It had been a little over a week since Orson had even looked his way so, understandably, he feared whatever reaction or response he’d get.

“Orson, I need…we need to talk.” He started, far less bold than he intended. From over his shoulder, Orson took a second to glare before rolling his eyes and making way toward the door. As he crossed the threshold, Galen knew this would be far more difficult than he hoped.

“Orson stop! Wait!”

It took a while, until they made it out of the dorm halls and into the main courtyard for Orson to grow tired of his name being shouted for all to hear. So angrily he turned and faced Galen.

“What the hell do you want?”

“I want to talk about…what you told me.”

“What about it? You don’t care anyway.”

Galen concealed a crude remark and pressed on. “You need to go see someone. A counselor or something. Tell them what happened if…if—”

“If I’m telling the truth? Hm?” Orson narrowed his eyes and quickly shook his head. “I have to go.”

“I’m serious Orson…you should tell someone. Someone who can help.” Galen spoke in all honesty. “Go to a teacher or someone; they can help you.”

By now, Orson’s back was turned to Galen as he walked further and further way in the distance. His mind was still clouded and for a split second, he felt quite guilty. In between him not believing Orson, and now forcing him into such a tight situation, he didn’t know what to feel. He just prayed this ended soon.

OoOoOoOoO

Krennic cursed himself for being so foolish, for not checking his surroundings for he and Galen had their conversation relatively in the open.

It was a nice morning and many students walked about the courtyard. Amongst those students, walking around, happened to be the very group of boys who had assaulted him at the party. And in particular, the one who was behind it all; whose eyes haunted the young teen’s dream’s at night.

Orson had broken his conversation short with Galen in order to get away with the brief hope that they hadn’t seen him. But as he walked to a rather empty part of the campus, taking short cut to his dorm, his foes found him. Or better yet, his one foe had found him.

Orson attempted to run the other direction, but the older boy was faster. He took hold of Krennic’s arm, and with a force swung him into the concrete slab beneath.

As a ringing grew in Krennic’s ear, his breath had all but left his body as his assaulter kicked him over and over again in the stomach until he nearly blacked out.

He caught a glimpse of the young man, just as he did moments before at the night of the party. Orson only knew him as Tarkin, the son of the headmaster Wilhuff Tarkin. They’d had run ins with one another before that night, but they all ended sour.

“If you tell anyone, this will be worse. What I did at the party will be nothing compared to what I _will_ do to you. Keep your mouth shut—”

“No one would believe me anyone you idio—”

Krennic was silenced with a kick to the chest, and after that the world drifted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! If you liked it, please comment and give me feedback! I will update if I feel people are actually reading and paying attention. So please, and have a good night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I originally uploaded this chapter on the weekend and got no feedback, so I will probably discontinue this story. I am re-uploading it so if there is anyone who wants to read it, they can, but I don't think I'll be continuing.

When Krennic arrived to the dorm later than expected Galen had assumed he’d visited the counselor.

Though seeing the younger man’s sluggish demeanor while observing the way he collapsed upon his bed, Galen decided not to speak to him about his meeting. Orson was  still wearing his shoes, blazer and all; Galen couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Orson, are you going to change into night clothes?”

There was no actual response from the other bed, just a few grunts of annoyance. So rolling his eyes, Galen took that as his cue to stand up and aid his friend in undressing. He first went for his shoes, untied the laces and pulled them off. Next, off went Krennic’s blazer until he was left in his blouse and slacks.

“Come on…you need to get into more comfortable things.”

“Why are you being so nice?” Orson sluggishly responded, forcing himself up.

Galen sighed. “I understand you may have had a rough day…or a rough time lately.” And though he told himself he’d wait until the morning to discuss Orson’s visit to the counselor, he made the mistake of discussing it then. “I know speaking to the counselor couldn’t have been easy—”

“Galen, I didn’t go to the counselor.” Orson quickly responded.

“Wait—what?”

As if all tones of compassion had been sucked from his voice, Galen glared at Orson. He couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed now that it seemed they were playing this game again. However, unfortunately for him, Orson could sense this change of character and quite immediately jumped to the defensive.

“So what, does this change things?” He spat. “Are you going to go back to being an ass?”

“Me?” Galen did not attempt to hide the shock and anger in his voice. “You’re the one who has been keeping this charade up all along! Dragging me down this line and trying to guilt trip me for something that you’ve probably made up or overexaggerated! Don’t call _me_ an asshole when you’re the one responsible for the mess.”

Orosn wasn’t slow to respond. Yet he didn’t yell, nor reply with the same fire. He only gazed into Galen’s eyes with an unreadable expression. “Do you not believe me then? Tell me yes or no. Stop hiding behind excuses.”

“N…no!” Galen finally chocked after having kept it in for so long. “I don’t believe you Orson. If you were telling the truth, you would have gone to get help! You wouldn’t have tried to pin this all on me—do you know how unfair that is? Fix your own problem and leave me out of it! And if it is true, it’s your fault!”

Perhaps there was a silent shift in the air, or the change in Krennic’s eyes that made him regret near everything he said. Because Galen, for the first time, saw the look of genuine sadness in his friend’s expression. The once bright blue color had dulled and Krennic could no longer meet Galen’s eyes.

“Can you leave me? Get off of my bed, I want to sleep now.”

“Orson—”

The young man moved when Galen tried to reach for him and was quick to spring up. “I’ll just leave. Please don’t follow me but it’s not as if I have to worry about you trying.”

And the silence lasted between them for only a few seconds before Krennic made his leave and he did not return for the rest of the night.

OoOoOoOoOo

The next few days, Krennic seemed to collapse.

Little by little things started to change about him that were all to concerning for Galen. The younger man refused to go to class and if he did, he would leave early. He skipped meals constantly until Galen pestered him beyond belief, and even then he’d only eat a few bites.

Galen wouldn’t ask, but he knew that his grades were sinking. There was no way with his attitude and attendance he was making an acceptable grade point average, and from that, Galen feared that his friend would lose his place at the school.

Yet, Galen knew he was in no position to lecture him as the other night had put some kind of dent in their friendship. They were more so the roommates that barely, if ever saw each other.

Krennic started to return later and later when the lights were off, and when he thought Galen was sleeping.

The older man knew why of course; he no longer wanted to see Galen.

And as much as that revelation hurt, Galen did not blame him in the slightest. He had overstepped his boundaries that night and still needed to apologize, but he did not know how. In fact, the more Galen looked at this situation from the beginning until now, he realized he had a lot to apologize for.

Perhaps it was look in Krennic’s eyes, the genuine look of sadness, that caused Galen to reconsider. He started to have his own personal doubts about this whole situation, and took into consideration that perhaps Krennic was being truthful.

After all, if his younger friend wanted to cause drama he would have gone about it a different way and it meant something that he wasn’t using this situation to draw attention to himself. In fact, it was the exact opposite. He avoided telling Galen until he truly had to, and the men he accused of assaulting him he stayed away from at all cost. Galen, instead of seeing these as signs of the truth, saw them as signs of Krennic complicating things more than he had to.

As Galen pondered on this subject more, a painful ache had begun to form inside his stomach when he realized his actions had made matters worse. One action in particular nearly made him sick with guilt when he came to realize that he had, more than once, blamed Krennic for all of this.

He blamed Krennic for his own assault and there was no getting past that.

As he sat outside of one of the empty classroom halls that evening, all he could do was think of how he’d make things better. For right now, it was not a matter of if Krennic was telling the truth, as much as it was a matter of Galen fixing their friendship and letting his young friend know he was not alone.

He didn’t know what he’d do or what he’d say, but he couldn’t just sit there and let the problem get worse.

OoOoOoOoOoO

When they’d first met, Orson and Galen tended to frequent one of the less visited courtyards on the campus. It was filled with nothing but green grass and a few trees planted haphazardly offering shade when the weather heated up.

It didn’t surprise Galen to see Krennic huddled under one of those, leaning against the branch trying to catch a nap. Galen was quick to sit next to him, shaking him out of what little sleep he had, making sure to get his attention as he sat not too far in front of him. It had been some time since the two had spoken to each other, so these gestures were weird. There was the staring, and the strange silence seemed to thicken the air about them until Galen finally spoke.

“Can we talk?”

“About what?”

“You know what.”

“Well there’s nothing to talk about then is there Erso?” Krennic made way to stand, but Galen reached out a hand. He didn’t grab him, nor push him, he simply placed his hand upon Orson’s thigh until he settled down and finally sat once again.

“What is this Galen? Make it quick, I don’t have all day.”

_You weren’t doing anything._ Galen wanted to say, but he cut straight to the chase. “Recently, I’ve been unfair to you and for that I apologize—no Orson. Let me speak I have a lot to say, just listen.”

“I don’t want to talk about it Galen.” There vulnerability in his voice nearly shattered Galen’s heart, but he knew he could not back down. If he did not say this now, he wouldn’t say it later.

“We need to Orson, because I believe you, alright? And the way I have been treating you is wrong...I know that when things like this happen, everyone handles it differently and now, I understand that you handle it differently and that’s okay. But…I want you to know that despite what I’ve said, and how I’ve treated you…it is not your fault. What they did to you isn’t your fault and I am terrible for even suggesting that Orson.”

He paused for a while, so his friend could register everything, yet Galen had to catch his breath when he caught the look on Orson’s face. His expressions went through many stages, as if he was grieving, saddened, angered and finally, he wore a look of relief. Yet there were tears threatening to spill from his eyes and Galen knew that he hated that. Orson tried to look away, and to wipe his face before he began to cry.

Galen continued.

“You aren’t alone in this Orson, I’m with you. And if you want to talk to me about it, then you can.” And he leaned forward slightly to place a hand on Krennic’s thigh once again. Then, perhaps subconsciously, the boy reached for Galen’s hand, and rested his hand upon his for support. He now kept a steady gaze toward Galen, still attempting to stay strong.

“But Orson…you _have_ to report this. You have to tell a counselor or someone; they can help you.”

“No…no…” Orson, seeming to have abandoned his tough façade completely shook his head. “I _can’t!_ ”

“Why because they’ll hurt you?” Galen expected Orson to be holding back because of pride or something of the sort, but when his teenage friend nodded ever so slowly he became enraged.

“Who hurt you Orson? Tell me!”

“What will you do if I tell you? You can’t tell anyone, I can’t tell anyone! Please, just…let’s just let it go…please!”

“Orson—”

“I don’t want to be raped again Galen!” Using the word itself seemed to have truly darkened the atmosphere, but this showed he was all the more serious. “I can’t go through it—”

“You won’t go through it again, I promise…and I _will_ go with you. Both of us together, we’ll tell the counselor everything and we can get this settled. The teachers like me Krennic, they’ll be on our side if it comes for it. It will be fine I promise, but you have to trust me. Tomorrow, we’ll go tomorrow okay?”

Orson said nothing. He shook his head for a few second until he fell head first into Galen’s chest. As if exhaustion had taken over him, and he could no longer support himself, he collapsed. But Galen did not mind, he held on to him tightly and felt as the young boy wept against his clothes.

“It’ll be alright Krennic. You won’t be alone, I promise.”  And Orson did not respond.

OoOoOoOoOo

They did not return to the bedroom until late , meaning Orson was all the more sluggish, but Galen did not mind.

He helped him to his bed, and made sure to remove his shoes and all. It wasn’t until he was about to return to his bed, did Orson make a move to grab at him. “Can you…lay with me for a while…for a moment?”

Galen didn’t protest or say otherwise. He removed his shoes and more uncomfortable clothing and slipped in between the sheets with his younger friend. He understood the events from earlier, in addition to the anxiety of visiting the counselor may , have made him uneasy.

And now, with everything crashing down upon him, he was unsteady. Broken, terrified and a mess of unsteady emotions. Yet Galen held on to him that night, hoping to steady him any way he could, and if possible give him the strength he’d need for the morning.

He felt how skinny Orson was, for he’d neglected his meals due to all of this. Galen only hoped that the next day would bring an end to this chaos, and that he’d hopefully get his friend back.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, chapter 1 out of….5, MAYBE 10 the most! Anyway, if you like it please let me know. Comments and kudos are also welcome XD


End file.
